The present invention relates to a bowl and cover assembly and more particularly to disposable bowls and covers made from a foam plastic sheet material with both the bowls and the lids being individually stackable in a manner to prevent vacuum locking and having a configuration which provides an annular vacuum seal between the cover and the bowl.
Numerous types of bowl and cover assemblies and means for effecting a closure of the cover on the bowl have been devised. However, the present invention provides a bowl and cover which may be easily fabricated from an expanded foam plastic sheet whereby a vacuum seal is formed when the cover is placed over the bowl without the need of an inwardly directed bead or lip about the skirt of the cover. In addition, the present invention provides a configuration for both the bowl and the lid whereby a plurality of bowls may be stacked one on top of the other without the creation of a vacuum which causes vacuum locking between adjacent stacked bowls. Such vacuum locking requires that a person use both hands or otherwise be provided with an apparatus which will allow a single bowl to be separated from the remaining stack of bowls.
Likewise, the present invention provides a lid configuration whereby a plurality of lids can be stacked without creating a vacuum between adjacent stacked lids and thereby preventing vacuum locking. The elimination of vacuum locking allows the bowl and cover to be more easily and quickly handled.
Finally, the present invention fills a need in the packaging art for a lightweight disposable container for take-out food, such as Japanese or Chinese food. Heretofore, such containers for Japanese and Chinese food have generally been paper cartons which have little heat retention capabilities and exhibit various undesirable structural features. The present invention thus eliminates these problems of conventional paper containers and cartons for take-out Japanese and Chinese-type foods, and provides a container which is capable of creating a vacuum seal to retain the freshness and heat of the Japanese or Chinese food contained therein.